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Deseret News, "Report: Teacher training in U.S. — including some programs in Utah — an 'industry of mediocrity'", 6/19/13
The Salt Lake Tribune, "Report says too many teachers, too little quality; Utah educators question study", 6/18/13
Los Angeles Times, "Using technology to fight cheating in online education", 5/1/13
Sky Magazine, "The New Classroom? Will Online Education Make Us Better Students”, 5/1/13
Fast Company, Bill Gates on Education: “We Can Make Massive Strides”, 5/1/13
The Atlantic, "Imagine No College Debt (It Isn't Hard to Do)", 3/18/13
Huffington Post Blog, "Ensuring Academic Quality in Higher Ed", 3/5/13
Gov. Nixon introduces accredited, non-profit university in Missouri, 2/15/13
WGU Mentioned in The New York Times, 2/24/13
Fast Company, "Most Innovative Companies 2013", 2/11/13
WGU to Celebrate More than 4,100 Graduates at Winter Commencement, 2/8/13
Governor Nixon Announces His Intent to Establish WGU Missouri, 1/28/13
Governor Haslam Announces His Intent to Establish WGU Tennessee, 1/28/13
Huffington Post Blog, “Looking Beyond Graduation Rates”, 1/11/13
December 2012 WGU Washington Chancellor Jean Floten recognized by Seattle Magazine as one of 2012’s most influential people in the field of education
WGU mentioned in The Economist , 12/1/12
The Wall Street Journal, "The Cost of Dropping Out", 11/22/12
Forbes, "Bill Gates On Why American Colleges Have To Change", 11/11/12
The Deseret News, "Credit hours vs. competency debate continues for classes", 11/11/12
WGU mentioned in The Washington Post, 11/4/12
Reuters, "Five online classes to rev up your career" and "Getting the most out of an online education", 10/19/12
TIME, "Can an Online Degree Really Help You Get a Job?", 10/18/12
American RadioWorks, "A School of Clicks, Not Bricks", 9/12/12
WGU Holds the Line on Tuition for Fifth Straight Year, 9/12/12
Huffington Post Blog, "What Is Competency-Based Education?", 9/5/12
Bloomberg Businessweek.com, "WGU: A Second Chance at College", 8/23/12
Gov. Bob McDonnell Announces VCCS/WGU Admission Agreement, 8/21/12
WGU—Number One U.S. Provider of Master’s Degrees for Math Teachers, 7/26/12
Inside Higher Ed, "Graduate First, Transfer Later", 7/26/12
The Salt Lake Tribune, "Western Governors graduates those who prove ‘competency’", 7/14/12
WGU 2012 Summer Commencement
Associated Press, Western Governors Founders Mark 15th Anniversary, 7/12/12
WGU Celebrates 15th Anniversary
WGU Student Goes for the Gold
WGU Indiana Celebrates 2 Years as First of Its Kind, 6/11/12
WGU Washington Holds First Commencement
Huffington Post Blog, Dr. Robert Mendenhall: Quality Higher Education Doesn’t Need to Cost So Much, 5/2/12
WGU President Mendenhall Participates in The Atlantic Town Hall Event, 3/27/12
The Chronicle of Higher Education, "A President Brings a Revolutionary University to Prominence", 2/26/12
WGU 2012 Winter Commencement
CNN, "Students go at own pace at school without boundaries", 2/7/12
WGU President Robert W. Mendenhall Testifies Before a U.S. Senate Committee on Improving College Affordability, 2/2/12
WGU Washington Doubles Enrollment in First Six Months, 1/19/12
NPR – All Things Considered, "Online School Helps Grown-Ups Finish College", 1/3/12
The Economist, "University Challenge", 12/10/11
The New York Times, "College Leaders Meet with Obama to Discuss Costs and Productivity", 12/5/11
The Washington Post, College Inc., "Obama meets with star presidents to talk reform", 12/5/11
CNN.com, "Why does college cost so much?", 12/2/11
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Speech to FSA, Conference, "Beyond the Iron Triangle: Containing the Cost of College and Student Debt", 11/29/11
The New York Times, "Duncan Calls for Urgency in Lowering College Costs", 11/29/11
Dr. Mark Milliron to Lead WGU Texas, 11/9/11
WGU Texas, State’s Newest University, Celebrates Launch and Formalizes Community College Partnership, 9/21/11
Washington Monthly, "The College For-profits Should Fear", 8/29/11
The New York Times, "Online Enterprises Gain Foothold as Path to a College Degree"
"Weekly Prompts From a Mentor", 8/25/11
NBC 12 Phoenix, "Phoenix mother overcomes odds, receives degree", 8/10/11
WGU 2011 Summer Commencement
Western Governors University Enrollment Tops 25,000, 5/17/11
Bloomberg Businessweek.com, “Online Education, With a Low-Cost Twist”, 3/21/11 .
Seattle Times, "Bill Would Partner State with Online University”, 3/19/11 .
WGU Holds Winter Commencement Ceremony, 2/12/11.
NBC Nightly News, New York, “Downloading a College Degree”, 7/17/09, WGU is featured on national NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams as a flexible, cost-effective, accredited university for working adults.
WGU Featured in TIME Magazine Article, "Go Western, Young Man", 11/14/08. Feature story about WGU in TIME Magazine. "Let's not waste anyone's time or money. You won't find that phrase emblazoned on a T shirt, but it's essentially the motto of Western Governors University (WGU), a private online school that has worked hard to prove it is anything but a diploma mill...” Read More

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Questions & Answers

Click a question, see the answer to the right.

When was WGU founded?

WGU was conceived in 1995 at a meeting of the governors of Western Governors Association. The governors recognized the potential to expand higher education through distance education technologies to adults who needed to improve their skills and knowledge. The following year, 1996, Western Governors University was chartered. Over the following three years, much work went into developing a new university, essentially from scratch, that would also incorporate a "competency-based" approach into all its degree programs. The university was incorporated as an independent nonprofit university in 1997 and enrolled its first students in 1999.

Does WGU have graduation ceremonies?

Yes, WGU has formal graduation ceremonies, held twice a year. If you'd like to watch highlights of a recent WGU commencement, click here.

How quickly is WGU growing?

WGU is growing quickly but not so quickly that we lose sight of the importance of each student. Our approach remains highly personalized.

Who is WGU's press contact?

If you represent the press, you can contact:

Joan Mitchell
Director of Public Relations
jmitchell@wgu.edu
801-274-3280, ext. 5463

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NBC News Reports on WGU

"The dreams of 19 governors have become [WGU Grad Angie Gonzalez's] dream fulfilled."

—Tom Costello
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams

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In the News

  • "While such programs [like Western Governors University] are now the exception, I want them to be the norm."

—US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

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